After being closed for 628 Days, the Ahmanson Theatre returns better than ever with “A Christmas Carol”!

A Christmas Carol opened on Broadway in November 2019. The show was praised and received phenomenal reviews. The production took five Tony Awards for Best Original Score (Christopher Nightingale), Best Scenic Design of a Play (Rob Howell), Best Costume Design of a Play (Rob Howell), Best Lighting Design of a Play (Hugh Vanstone), and Best Sound Design of a Play (Simon Baker). It took home all the awards it was nominated for.

A Christmas Carol tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an unkind man who receives a visit from the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and what’s yet to come. Scrooge comes face to face with reality and goes on a journey that teaches him to learn and understand others. Also, he learns the real meaning of Christmas.

The production is dazzling! What makes this production quite special is the new interpretation. As soon as you walk into the Ahmanson theatre, you enter an immersive experience of Holiday Joy! The spirit of the holidays is at every corner. This is a play, but at times it feels like a musical masterpiece. Throughout the play, storytelling is done in a unique way with Christmas carols including “Silent Night” and “It came upon the Midnight Clear” to name a few. The creative team does a sensational job to immerse the audience into a beautiful world by offering stunning light effects, stunning costumes, a joyful script by Jack Thorne, and other surprises like snow! Let’s say it’s pretty magical!

Viewers will be pleased with how diverse the cast is. I really enjoyed seeing inclusion on stage. A few standouts are the talented Alex Newell who steals each scene he is in. Also, Newell sings in the show, and it’s quite powerful. Another stand-out is three-time Emmy® winner Bradley Whitford (The Handmaid’s Tale, The West Wing, Get Out, The Post) as Ebenezer Scrooge. You feel for the old man. Whitford’s interpretation of Scrooge will be one for the books because Whitford does a good job of making you have empathy for Scrooge. You are rooting for him to reflect and change. He makes you feel emotion after emotion with his acting choices. He is great. Overall, the whole ensemble is fascinating. Each cast member is a delight. You can feel the energy in the room!

In this production, Scrooge learns to advocate for the community around him, instead of helping himself. This is the message we need today.

“A Christmas Carol” is a feast! Every side dish is great! You will be going home remember how great this feast was!

At the end of every performance, The Ahmanson Theatre is asking for donations to help the South L. A cafe Community Foundation. You are able to donate as you exit the theatre. All funds will go to support grocery box services and will help feed over 70,000 residents to have food this holiday season.

“A Christmas Carol” is now playing at the Ahmanson Theatre and will continue performances through January 1, 2022. You can visit www.centertheatregroup.org to purchase tickets.